CHARLESTON — A recission package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday could cut direct funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting if the U.S. Senate concurs, but U.S. Rep. Riley Moore said it should not affect any funding already received by West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

The House passed the Recissions Act of 2025 on Friday to claw back more than $9.4 billion in foreign aid and direct funding for the CPB in a narrow 214-212 vote, sending the bill to the Senate for further consideration.

Both 1st District Congresswoman Carol Miller, R-W.Va., and 2nd District Congressman Riley Moore, R-W.Va., voted yes. Only four Republicans voted no on the bill.

“I’m proud to have supported this bill to codify President Trump’s DOGE cuts, which finally ensures tax dollars aren’t used to weaponize media against the American people and puts a stop to the Democrats radical (LGBTQ) agenda in foreign aid,” said Moore, the chairman of the Republican Study Committee’s new Rescissions Task Force, in a statement Friday.

“The American people know waste, fraud, and abuse when they see it – and as the leader of the Republican Study Committee’s Task Force on Rescissions, I’ll continue to work to expose it,” Moore continued. “This is only the first step – more cuts are coming.”

The bill would rescind more than $1.1 billion in funding to CPB – the non-profit founded by Congress in 1967 – which provides funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), as well as funding to local public broadcasting stations in all 50 states and territories. President Donald Trump and other Republicans have been critical of NPR and PBS, accusing those broadcasters of liberal bias and pushing “woke” ideology.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting has received $1.6 million in funding through CPB so far for the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30. Federal funding through CPB and other federal grants made up 18.8 percent – or $1.9 million – of West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s $10.2 million budget in fiscal year 2024 according to its most recent annual report.

Trump signed an executive order last month, titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media.” The executive order calls for CPB to cease all direct and indirect funding of NPR and PBS.

In his executive order, Trump said the need for federal funding for NPR and PBS was no longer needed due to the abundance of media options for consumers. Trump also accused NPR and PBS of liberal/progressive media bias that favors Democratic politics and policies over Republican positions. However, the executive order appears to allow funding for local public broadcasting programs, though it remains unclear how those federal funds would flow to in-state public broadcasting systems.

In a separate statement released last Friday evening, Moore said the Recissions Act was aimed at CPB’s direct funding and leaves open the door for congressional funding going directly to state-level public broadcasting programs, such as West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is supervised by the state Educational Broadcasting Commission and the Department of Tourism. Moore provided examples of CPB-funded projects that he believes showed clear political bias.

“This bill targets direct federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which finances and promotes a radical progressive agenda,” Moore said. “Examples include the documentary ‘Real Boy,’ which glorifies a teen girl ‘transitioning’ to a man, or PBS NewsHour’s slanderous attack on ministers who ensured a Texas town’s annual Christmas parade remained family-friendly by excluding drag queens. West Virginians clearly rejected that agenda last November.”

Member stations and other institutions receive anywhere from 8 percent to 10 percent of their funding from CPB, which provides more than $500 million to public broadcasting programs in other states. According to CPB, the board is fully funded by Congress through Sept. 30, 2027.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting received 44.5 percent of its funding in fiscal year 2024 – more than $4.5 million – through private funding by individual donations, sustaining members, and large-dollar grants from foundations. But 36.7 percent of West Virginia’s Public Broadcasting’s funding in fiscal year 2024 – more than $3.7 million – came from the state’s general revenue budget.

According to its 2024 annual report, West Virginia Public Broadcasting had 592,500 monthly viewers for its TV stations around the state and 82,300 listeners to its radio stations each week. West Virginia provides educational programming; produces radio and TV programs and documentaries; and provides award-winning news and public affairs programming.

Popular programming produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting includes The Legislature Today, Mountain Stage, Us and Them, Inside Appalachia and West Virginia Morning. West Virginia Public Broadcasting also provides emergency services communications through its satellite links and broadcasting towers.